Programs

The Confucius Institute of the State of Washington supports a number of ongoing programs in partnership with the Hanban, the executive body of the Chinese Language Council International, a non-governmental and non-profit organization affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, including:

The Confucius Institute of the State of Washington and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) partner on the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, coordinated by the College Board, in partnership with Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters and the National Council of State Supervisors for Language (NCSSFL). Schools or districts can request highly qualified teachers from China to help launch or expand their Chinese language programs.

Coordinated jointly by the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington and Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters, Chinese Bridge Delegation is an opportunity for state and school district administrators and policy makers, especially school board members, to travel to China to learn more about China’s education system and how to connect schools in China and the U.S.

Coordinated by the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington and sponsored by Hanban, the Chinese Bridge Summer Camp is a 2-week program for American high school students to experience Chinese language and culture by traveling abroad.

Asia Society’s Confucius Classrooms Network is a national network of exemplary Chinese language programs. The Network serves as model sites for developing the field of Chinese language teaching in American schools.

The Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban is launching the “Confucius Institute Scholarship” program to provide financial aid for students, scholars, and Chinese language teachers worldwide to either proceed to a Master’s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) in Chinese universities or to study in such majors as Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History, and Chinese Philosophy. The Scholarship covers registration fees, tuition, fees for basic learning materials, accommodation fees on campus, and includes a one-off resettlement subsidy, monthly allowance, outpatient medical service and comprehensive insurance for foreign students studying in China.

Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) is China’s official, standardized Chinese language proficiency test for non-native speakers. It assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives. It consists of a writing test and a speaking test, which are independent of each other. The YCT is the “Youth Chinese Test” for non-native primary and secondary school students.

Mission

The Confucius Institute of the State of Washington is the first statewide Confucius Institute. It has been established under an agreement by the Ministry of Education of China (Hanban), the University of Washington, and Seattle Public Schools. It serves to strengthen Chinese language learning, educational and cultural exchanges.